


An Angel's Saunter

by Traillbits



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Angel Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale and Crowley Met Before The Fall (Good Omens), Crowley Was Raphael Before He Fell (Good Omens), Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 03:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20369827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traillbits/pseuds/Traillbits
Summary: From the arch angel Raphael's coming to be, his creations and questions. Glimpses into his freestyle dive vaguely downward from Her realm when Raphael burned away and the fallen Crowley came to stand in his place.(Yes another Crowley is Raphael fic, I just love this fan theory so much!)





	An Angel's Saunter

Gabriel had felt awe-not envy or jealously-just pure wonder gazing upon the stars of what was now forming the cosmos. 

The colors that morphed and glided through space and settled within their new home among this youthful galaxy.

The archangel's violet gaze glanced to the one who's back was to him, still crafting the stars to his will. 

This was his brother, the almighty had told Gabriel. He had a younger brother now, a baby brother. 

The archangel, his new brother felt so apart from his other siblings in appearance-possibly in more than just this. His hair was much longer than his own or Uriel's, even Michael's. And the vibrancy of it was striking. 

The angels had only just begun forming colors, names were still being thrown about. But his hair was colorful like that of whirling flames, quite similar to the color that was swirling through the space his younger brother played and shaped.

Red! That's what this color was called, it was labelled a basic color, one of many similar to it to come. But this red hair was any description but basic. 

"Do you like it?" 

Gabriel blinked, torn from his thoughts about color creation. His brother turned to face him, his wings spread wide. They were breathtaking-that is if the angels needed to breathe. While they were white (Gabriel knew this color), chaste and pure as they all shared this attribute. But within his wings the older archangel could see flecks that gleamed in between the feathers. 

Only just coming into his existence and already Gabriel's baby brother had allowed the stars to travel alongside him! They sparkled with a wink, having become nestled and find protective refuge in his wings. 

Gabriel could only nod, but still was rather in awe of those lucky stars. 

He pointed up at his brother's creation. "What do you call that?"

The red haired angel mused, "Y'know, I haven't quite figured out what to call it myself. It's on the tip of my tongue... I just know it."

Gabriel smiled, "I'm sure it will come to you brother."

His eyes-they reflected a new color, green it was called-shined with recognition. "Brother? I have a brother."

"I'm Gabriel. What has the almighty christened you to be?"

He looked hesitant, as if confused what to say. 

"There's no need to be afraid, I'm sure you will like-"

"Nebula!"

Gabriel tilted his head, "That's an interesting name She has granted you?"

"Oh! No, not that. I mean, this." He pointed to the whirling colors within space. 

"You call this a nebula?"

He nodded, the new angel very proud of this new fact. 

"It sounds perfect. A nebula."

"My name... She said my name is..."

\--

Raphael was lost in the clusters of stars and planets again. He was meant to rejoin Gabriel and the others, but of course. Here his little brother was, the red haired angel's hands flexed and wrapped around the fabric of space to release another creation into the galaxy. It's a wonder the universe was not overstuffed with vibrant nebulae and planets that radiated new colors and formations. 

"I'm sorry, I got sidetracked." Raphael pouted, "There's just so much more I want to do."

"You know it is not your burden to do this alone, I've told you this several times already." Gabriel said, chiding his baby brother. 

"But I don't WANT help. I like working alone. Just like I didn't ask for help with that last nebula."

"It was beautiful craftsmanship Raphael."

"It was a right off," The red haired archangel frowned, "If help hadn't been forced upon me that galactic cluster could have looked spectacular."

"I think what you'll hear will change your mind on that."

Raphael's green eyes blinked in confusion, "What d'ya mean?"

Gabriel stopped walking and glanced about the vast white halls. 

"I shouldn't tell you this, but I imagine you will find out soon enough. Each of us-you, myself, Michael, and Uriel-are to be granted a principality by the almighty."

"A principality? But why do we need a lesser principality to our aid?" He asked, not understanding how an angel of much lower stature could be of use to an archangel.

Gabriel shook his head with a frown, "That's quite a foolish question brother. Too many questions are foolish to ask. And we must take caution with arrogance. But I think you'll find even archangels need the service of other angels. We cannot exist alone which is why we need such help. That is why we are going to find Michael and Uriel." 

\--

It was ironic that Raphael had refused help for so long, but he was now rarely seen by any of the spectral beings in Heaven without Aziraphale by his side. 

Sure, the principality was not apt as the archangel was as they explored through the galleries of what Raphael had brought into the newborn galaxy. 

"My dear, it's wonderful!" Aziraphale said with glee. To think one angel created all of this? "Can we see more?" 

Raphael smiled, "I'm sorry but I wish we could."

"Oh, one more teensy little star wouldn't hurt would it? They're just so marvelous!" Aziraphale's eyes glanced away, the gleam growing smaller. "But I understand that we have so much work to do back home. I'm so sorry my dear! I didn't mean to keep us so long. It was foolish of me to ask."

"I brought us out here, didn't I?" The red haired angel said, shrugging off the principality's concern. "One teensy star it is and then we go home." 

"Oh, really!" Aziraphale smiled. 

"Sure, a few more minutes won't hurt."

The angels wings unfurled and they soared across the fabrics of space. Raphael flinched feeling a pair of arms encircle his robe clad waist. 

"I'm sorry for startling you," Aziraphale apologized, "You just, you go too fast for me. Not to say you should slow down on my account please, I just didn't want to be left behind."

Aziraphale made to remove his hands, but Raphael's came to be placed over his.

"I didn't say you had to let go Angel." He dipped his red haired head back, so as they're eyes met and the space of time even for the fraction of a second seemed to swirl to a halt. 

"One teensy star."

\--

Even when Rapahel was to create landbound on the almighty's latest project (his siblings called it 'Earth'), the archangel took pride in the first step to this project. 

Among the desert was a garden. Barred away from the reaches of the pale sand on the other side of the gate, the garden held flourishing green as deep as Raphael's eyes. But it was not only green, that was just the start. Life flourished, so much like his cherished nebulas, the plants and flowers bloomed reds, blues, yellows. More colors than could be dreamed or constructed rose from the garden. 

The almighty was quite pleased, She had told them it was a project meant to house her newest creation. She called these beings 'human'. 

What brought Raphael more joy than his plants, was to learn that Aziraphale was to be named guardian of the Eastern gate of the garden-Eden is what She insisted it be named. 

He had just created again when hearing the news. 

"Just what is that?" Gabriel asked, not in as much amazed wonderment as he had been seeing his younger brother create the first nebula. 

"I haven't decided yet on it's name." Raphael answered, watching it-whatever it's name would be-glide across the ground. It had no limbs save for it's head, Raphael had chosen red as it's color-perhaps akin to his hair or so as to make it easier to spot in the contrast of the green garden. He hadn't finished yet, and so the creature slithered blind having not had a chance to give it eyes yet, he wanted to decide on a color first. Perhaps green like the flourishing plant life, or blue? The tongue had not come out the way the archangel had intended, long and forked when it tasted the air. 

"You should leave living creations to the almighty, She knows how to handle it." Gabriel shook his head disapproving of the blind creature. "What exactly is its purpose suppose to be?"

"I don't know that either yet. But it could help."

"Help...what?" 

"Well." Raphael nibbled on the tip of his finger in thought. "Maybe these humans, it could help them."

"It looks quite pointless to me. Kind of creepy crawly of a thing."

Raphael shrugged, the two not mentioning another word of it after that.

\--

Michael had warned her younger brother not to speak to Lucifer. The angel was asking too many questions, getting under God's skin, trying Her patience. Beelzebub was buying into it, many of them were, but many were also appalled by such doubt in the Great Plan. 

Raphael wasn't sure which side he fell on, and it scared Aziraphale to see such doubt in those lovely eyes. 

"Why so glum, Angel?" Raphael asked.

"I'm not,"

"Wasn't I suppose to be the terrible liar?"

Aziraphale shook his head, "I worry about you when you sneak off when there's work to be done. It's not right to listen to Lucifer's ideas. Gabriel told the others not to, Sandolphon warned against it to me."

"What does he know?"

"Raphael, he's worried! Can't you see? Everyone is, there's talks that...what if there's an uprising?"

"Why don't we take a trip together Aziraphale?"

"You're avoiding the question."

"Because I don't want to talk about any uprisings right now."

"Maybe when you do, we will take that trip, my dear." Aziraphale gave him a sad smile.

"When that day comes... where would you like to go? Anywhere Angel."

It would confuse so many why he insisted on such a simple pet name for the principality, when in actuality aside from his siblings the only one Raphael ever was seen talking to was Aziraphale. 

His blue eyes perked up, "Do you remember when you first showed me your creations? After we saw the star, here was one last place I wanted to go. Oh, but Uriel insisted you return before we had a chance."  
Raphael snapped his fingers in recognition. 

"Alpha Centaurai."

"Why yes, that was it. Perhaps a lovely outing there would be nice."

"Nice and quiet out there," Raphael mused, "No hustle and bustle of this place. More planets out there. No one would even notice us there would they?"

"Perhaps not." Aziraphale made to shift where he sat, but Raphael pulled his principality close, those massive wings of feathers and golden winking stars enveloped them both.

"A little longer Angel," He mumbled.

\--

"What did you say Crowley?"

Aziraphale blinked where they lay on the bed. Just after the Amegedidn't, having bested even Satan himself. The angel was stricken with sorrow at his destroyed bookshop, but his sadness melted away for now whilst resting in a demon's apartment of all places. And feeling said demon's arms encircle his plump waist.

Neither Crowley or Aziraphale required sleep-the principality wasn't even sure how-but the red haired demon enjoyed the past time, and the poor dear looked lonesome in the bed by himself. Offering the angel a place to stay until they dealt with the morning, and the dawn now rising upon them. 

But as the principality attempted to sit up on the cushy mattress, a pair of arms tightened and pulled him back down. 

"A little longer Angel," The demon mumbled against Aziraphale.

Something about that little sentiment sparked to life something. Such a basic little request and yet it sounded so familiar. 

Why did it sound so familiar?

\--

The Fall didn't pain Raphael, not really. Not that he fell as his brethren had after Lucifer declared Hell for his own. 

Michael and Uriel were speechless, Gabriel had tried to stop him. The only one of them to step forward and tell his little brother not to go. 

But the almighty had no time for words, She reduced Raphael to his hands and knees. Gasping and pleading to no one in particular. The ground beneath him seemed to cave in, he could feels himself gradually begin to sink before his freefall descent. 

The others had shirked their wings before their Fall, letting themselves plummet hard into the dirt or the newly formed seas below. But Raphael's wings were still draped over him as he Fell. It was so hard to fly though, being dragged down whilst trying to will his wings to fly. 

His heart ached seeing the stars nestled in his feathers grow hot and crumble into nothing as his descent grew faster and faster. Everything felt so hot, even his wings were not immune. The stars that once safely nestled within his wings now sparked and igniting. 

The archangel cried holding his arms tight around the burning wings, but the feathers were too strong to merely disintegrate. But their vibrancy, no longer were they piercing white, they did not blend in with the Heavens he so Fell further and further from and became dark and ashen as they burned. 

They had more akin to the black abyss that awaited him shortly below into a pool of boiling sulfur. 

\--

Aziraphale stood at the Eastern gate, feeling as though something were missing. 

Certainly not his flaming sword, but the almighty knows he nearly had forgotten that! He wasn't sure what he was to be guarding the gate from necessarily, only that his place was here. 

But his place was somewhere else too? Why couldn't he remember...

What was he suppose to remember?

\--

Raphael crawled in agony on the dirt, his whole being hurt and yet he couldn't feel anything. Where could he go now?

He hadn't necessarily agreed entirely with Lucifer and his radical ideas. All he did was hang around him, talk to them, ask questions. Why were questions so harmful among those in Heaven?

Raphael hoped Aziraphale wasn't upset, to imagine his principality in despair was much more painful an idea to comprehend. 

His pain however worsened. Sometime later, with he simple order to stir up some trouble, the fallen arch angel emerged in the guise of a being he created. 

Only this snake had large yellow eyes as it slithered into the Garden of Eden. 

He felt hopeful seeing Aziraphale manning the gate, he was glad that the principality was given the ask he had pined for.

Slithering up the wall beside the angel, Aziraphale showed no fear seeing the snake reshape and morph into his corporeal human form. But why would he show fear, after all they'd been through?

"Well that went down like a lead balloon." He stated

Aziraphale nodded nervously, but blinked puzzled. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said that went down like a lead balloon."

But seeing the look in those wonderfully blue eyes, the fallen one realized the worst pain. The angel did not remember the arch angel Raphael. 

"Well it must be bad..." Aziraphale stumbled, waiting for an unannounced introduction.

He found himself back at square one as he would now make sure Aziraphale remember the demon that stood in his place.

"Crawly" 

He held back the most restraint he could not to embrace the angel when he confessed to selflessly giving away the flaming sword. 

\--

It was the night following the celebratory lunch after avoiding execution and embracing what the opposing sides considered exile. But to Aziraphale and Crowley, their own side considered it freedom from Heaven and Hell's obligations.

Aziraphale was crying.

Crowley's yellow eyes cracked open in confusion. It was still dark in the flat, but where the angel had lain beside him was only a large empty dent.

"Angel?" The demon called, hearing the whimpering from the other room. Hopping out of the bed, clad in a black tank top-at least a size larger for his lanky frame-and plaid patterned shorts, Crowley went to investigate. 

"Aziraphale?" Crowley called, a familiar set of tartan pyjamas met his eye at the desk. The principality was sitting in Crowley's gold red throne chair, slouched over with a book in hand. 

The demon sighed, "Oh tell me you aren't reading another one of those tragic sonnet tales again. Remember when you-" 

Crowley paused seeing it was not a romance novel Aziraphale-still weepy eyed-held in his hands. It was Crowley's big astronomy book, his finger glossing over one nebula cluster. 

"How could I forget you my dear?" The angel weeped. "I... I loved you so much and I didn't remember you."

The demon eyes softened, he knelt down placing his hand over the one circling over Alpha Centaurai.

"Angel, it's ok." He mumbled.

"But it isn't. I... Raphael..." Aziraphale shook.

Crowley gave the angel's hand a firm but gentle squeeze. 

"That's not my name anymore. That was a long time ago, right? You've known Crowley for six thousand years, I can settle for that."

Aziraphale placed his free hand along the side of Crowley's face, rubbing his thumb along the smooth cool skin. 

"My dear boy, can you ever forgive me?" He pleaded. 

The demon glanced between the principality and back to the photographed nebulae.

"How about that offered you gave me?"

Quizzical, Aziraphale asked. "Which one?"

"We've already dined at the Ritz, let's say we have that picnic."

"Right now? I'm not opposed to that at all, only it's quite late outside."

The demon shook his head, a tiny smile quirking. 

"Not tonight angel, but leave that to me. But for now, let's put down the light reading and get some shut eye."

Aziraphale nodded. 

"I do hope you weren't too cold when I got up," He apologized

"'s fine" Crowley lied, resisting the urge to rub his arms with a shiver.


End file.
